Not poetic, just patronising
Beasts of the Southern Wild has garnered much praise, but its message seems to be that the poor like being poor.
On the wrong road
The long-awaited film version of Jack Kerouac’s seminal Beat generation novel does the book’s reputation no favours.
Holy Motors: who needs films to make sense?
Leos Carax’s movie is visually and emotionally engaging while seemingly devoid of a coherent narrative.
Time travel
for dummies
If you go to watch Looper expecting a twenty-first century version of The Matrix, you’re going to be disappointed.
Hollywood: you
can’t touch this
Schmaltzy French-language flick Untouchable beats Hollywood at its own game by injecting soul into proceedings.
Must-reads from the past week
Doing justice to Anna Karenina
Not even Keira Knightley’s trademark gurning can spoil a fine new film version of Tolstoy’s classic novel.
Lawless: lots of gore, nothing more
Filmmaking duo Hillcoat and Cave aim for something profound with their gangster flick, but they end up producing macho escapism.
The magic of the movie soundtrack
Despite the fanboyishness of Berberian Sound Studio, the way it shows how sound can change our lives is enthralling.
Where romcom meets reality
In Hollywood, true love conquers all, right? Refreshingly, Take This Waltz recognises real life is more complex.
The Imposter: just who is fooling who?
Bart Layton’s film about serial liar Frédéric Bourdin thrillingly asks questions about deception and self-deception.
